This invention relates to a motor coach and particularly to a motor coach having a stairway which allows entry and exit by passengers between a door in one side wall adjacent a front wall and an aisle of a passenger compartment running rearwardly between two rows of passenger seats.
The present invention is particularly but not exclusively concerned with touring or highway motor coaches rather than transit buses. In the motor coach situation, the coach floor tends to be relatively high so that there is a significant distance between the first step at the door which is approximately sixteen inches from ground height in normal ride position.
It is generally not practical, particularly in Noah America, to provide two stairways for the motor coach which would allow entry through one stairway and exit through a second stairway. It is generally required that there be a single stairway at the front of the coach adjacent the driver so that the driver can properly monitor the entry and exit of passengers.
It is well known that the ridership of motor coaches of this type includes a relatively high number of elderly or physically challenged persons. It is highly desirable therefore that the stairway be designed to allow simple, intuitive and rapid entry and exit of such persons without requiring them to negotiate the steps slowly and with much turning. It will be appreciated that the time for loading and unloading the passengers is often wasted time in a busy schedule of travel and therefore such loading should be effected as quickly as possible but without risking tripping or falling by any of the passengers.
The typical stairway in conventional motor coaches includes a first portion of the stairway which is substantially at right angles to a center line of the coach following which there is a 90.degree. turn part way up the stairway. This shape provides steps which are relatively narrow and usually are of varying heights and widths. In order to achieve the rise required from ground to floor using a minimum of space for the stairwell, the steps when conventionally arranged have a relatively high step height due to the ability to include a limited number of the steps which in practice is often five such steps. This type of stairway provides only poor ergonomics and therefore significantly slows the movement of passengers into the coach since those passengers must carefully negotiate each step in turn. While this often a minor matter for the youthful and physically able, persons with poor or weakened muscle control often must take very slow steps to ensure that the steps are properly negotiated without the danger of tripping or falling.
In many cases, this arrangement of steps requires that the driver platform be provided in a well or step down section from one of the steps so that it necessary for the driver to climb the steps and then to step down from the steps into a well. This is often difficult and cumbersome for the driver and provides an unattractive appearance in which the driver appears to be located downwardly from the steps in a well or pit.